


The Pirate's Butterfly

by MistyShine57



Category: Alternate Universe - Fandom, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types, space pirates - Fandom
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-07
Updated: 2018-08-01
Packaged: 2019-05-19 10:34:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14872115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MistyShine57/pseuds/MistyShine57
Summary: As whispers of a war made its way across the galaxy, young Ahsoka Tano exhibited her force sensitivity.  The Jedi, however, were too late and the togruta youngling was hurled into the world of smugglers, pirates, and thieves.  Now she's the adoptive daughter of Momma Ohnaka and travels with her step brother Hondo, while Anakin and Obi-wan fight in the Clone Wars, ignorant of her existence.





	1. Family Vacation to Canto Bight

With a pounding heart, Master Plo Koon of the esteemed Jedi Order waited outside the Council Chamber for his summoning. For a few minutes the Kel Dor remained in his natural and composed stature, but this soon was overpowered by his worry and he began pacing. He kept replaying the mission in his mind. Of course, it was never uncommon for a mission to go south or radically different from the plan, but usually retrievals were straight forward and easily managed. With his own seat on the council, this occurrence would most likely be overlooked in lieu of his past accomplishments and reputation, or prove how serious this situation truly was. Perhaps he had not done enough on Shili. Maybe he should have scanned the surrounding hyperspace lanes more thoroughly for any trails or sightings of ships. One of the villagers could have remembered something more consequential if only he had questioned them with more direction or prompting words. If this was the will of the force though, Plo Koon knew he must accept what happened and that he had done what the galaxy required of him. 

At this time, the Chamber door slid open and a sentinel stepped through and waved the master inside the chamber. Inhaling and exhaling to calm his nerves and center his thoughts, the Kel Dor entered the circular room. Glancing around as he made his way to the center of the room, he noted that the entire council was present from Master Yoda to Master Tiin. Facing the Grand Master, Plo Koon halted in the center and clasped his hands in anticipation of his report. 

“Anxious, the Council was when your report was read, Master Koon,” Master Yoda began with sympathy. “What happened on Shili, hear we would like.” 

“Of course, masters,” Plo Koon coughed into his mask to clear his voice. “When I accepted my mission, I left immediately in a private transport to find the force sensitive on Shili. The journey was standard, no traces of being tracked or interference from any external opposition. Everything was in order until I reached the village where the youngling lived. There was no reception, in fact I had managed to trespass during a celebration feast. I asked after their village leader who I was brought promptly before. He questioned as to a Jediwould return so soon to their home. When I reminded him that no Jedi had been to Shili since their last tribal war when Knight Shaak Ti had come to peace make for her people; I learned that an imposter had come two rotations before me claiming to be a member of our Order. This individual was able to convince the tribe of his legitimacy and the young child that I was sent to retrieve was taken by this sentient.” Plo Koon halted for a moment, hoping a pause would spark more wrath and sympathy within the Council that such a thing was possible. “I found the family of the youngling who became so upset upon learning of the they had lost their daughter to an imposter that they were unable to offer an substantial evidence or clues. In fact, when I questioned members of the village, very few clues about this thief were found. Some believed it was a Zygerrian that had dressed as a Jedi to steal the child and sell her into slavery. Others believed it was a Mirialan with dark skin. All that I truly gathered was that a male individual was employed to claim to be a Jedi in order to abduct this togruta force sensitive. The manner in which he discovered her location and was able to convince the village he was Jedi alludes me as well as what he truly plans to do with the youngling. He may no longer have her in his possession if the villagers fears are to be considered true.” 

The council was silent as each member processed this information. Master Yoda was thoughtfully clutching his staff with miscellaneous hums as ideas crossed through his mind. The other members silently pondered in their usual positions. Plo Koon considered speaking again to begin the debates, but Master Ki Adi Mundi bet him.

“As much as it pains myself and I’m sure the rest of the Council to hear of this, I am uncertain there remains any logical and efficient measures we can take to find this youngling.”

Plo Koon felt his breath catch in his respirator. 

“Assemble a team we could,” Yaddle chimed in from her cushion. “Hard and long work it will be, but for the youngling, try we must.” Master Piell leaned to converse with Master Rancisis after this comment, offering little consolation to Plo Koon’s mind. 

Mace Windu leaned forward and clasped his hands over his knees. “If Master Koon was unable to find sufficient clues while in the village so soon after the event, I doubt anyone we could send would have better luck. Every moment that passes lessens the chance we have of identifying or locating this imposter. I fear we have lost this youngling.” 

“Are we to abandon her to these circumstances?” Plo Koon looked around at his fellow Jedi Masters. “Each of us are here because someone brought us to the Temple and to a life of purpose. By refusing to look for this child who not only will be in danger of slavery or turning dark, but innocents she could have protected will be at risk. Masters, let this count as my formal request to lead a team in search of our lost child.”

“I believe Master Koon has stated his opinion on this matter. However does any other member of the Council have anything to add before we vote to sanction this search?” Master Piell asked glancing around at the other Jedi. Silence greeted his proposal and all turned to Master Yoda. 

“Time then, it is, for each to consider,” the green Jedi said calmly. “Rest in our judgement, the youngling’s fate does.”

Focusing all his will on remaining calm in the Force, Plo Koon managed to wait out the pause. He had said his piece, stated all the facts and argued his standpoint. This was a mission he felt obliged to take on, not only as a Jedi sworn to protect the galaxy, but as a sentient who had lost an innocent to an unknown danger. 

“Vote now, we must.” 

Master Plo Koon realized he had closed his eyes in his thoughts and reluctantly opened them to face the decision. 

“Due to the amount of resources required and the slim chance of success, I vote we use the limited Jedi available to us for more profitable missions and tasks,” Master Rancisis declared. 

“Those in agreement?” Mace Windu questioned and Masters Piell, Tiin, Mundi, raised their hands to show their support of Master Rancisis’s decision. 

Only four, Plo Koon almost sighed in relief. That left Masters Yaddle, Yoda, Windu, and himself to oppose. 

“With my added support, those against the proposition overrule.” Master Windu finished with an almost sympathetic glance at Plo Koon. “Perhaps during our missions we could uncover a clue concerning this Togruta, but otherwise I suggest we focus on our pressing matters, such as the escalating Naboo situation.”

Master Yoda closed his eyes in reluctant acceptance of the Council’s will. “Thank Master Koon we must. Time to recover from your journey, you may receive.”

In numb submission Master Plo Koon was ushered from the Chamber. Behind him he heard the whispers beginning to circle before Mace Windu redirected the conversation to Queen Amidala and her request for aid. How his fellow Council members could allow the loss of even a single youngling was shocking. How could they oppose him on this? He had even offered himself to return to Shili to continue the search. Now this youngling was lost to the whims of the galaxy and the corrupt within it. 

“Force, watch over and guide the path of this poor child,” Plo Koon whispered as he began to imagine all the horrors that could befall or already have befallen the small togruta. 

 

* * *

 

The speeder was working its engine to the maximum speed, but the Republic escort still tailed Ahsoka as she raced through the city lanes. Luckily the residents of this particular town we used to such random and colorful displays of thievery in their home, so no one had been hurt yet. This chase was just beginning though, but luckily the racetrack heist had gone down closer to the outer circle so there was not much distance left to leave Canto Bight. Still, this meant she was running out of time to lose this patrol or she was going to need a new exit strategy. 

Her com flashed neon green and a voice screeched from the line. “What are you doing? That cargo is delicate!” The Rhodian’s voice restated for the fifteenth time in the same whiny tone. 

“Do you think I’m trying to get shot down,” Ahsoka shot back over her com. A blaster bolt whizzed past her montral, causing her to jump and almost swerve from the lane. “This guard isn’t helping at all though!” She snarled urging her bike to keep up its pace. Being shot wasn't really a concern of hers due to how compact the city area was where she was currently being chased through, but if they managed to cut her off from Hondo’s rendezvous this whole bounty would be blown. She really did not need Moma Ohnaka upset with her when she was working on earning her own ship from her adoptive mother. Somehow Ahsoka needed to lose these guys. 

As she leaned closer to her handlebars, the roar of the engine overpowered her usual ability to sense her surrounding with her montrals confusing her head with deafening thunder of machinery. Despite this disruption to her sense her familiarity with these situations allowed her to power through the sensations and pull open a map on the data pad one of the pirates had strapped to the chassis. Scanning quickly while she scarcely managing to maneuver all the buildings, shops, and huts, she located the rendezvous point. It was about four kilometers outside the outskirts of the pawn district. The total distance was about seven kilometers, enough to either lose these guards or get captured without any chance of rescue. Comforting. 

She chanced a glance over her shoulder to see how close her pursuers were. One of the gold speeders swerved around a parked vehicle, followed promptly by two others. One cut the corner too sharp and the rear end of his bike swung into that poor civilian’s vehicle. With a crash he was gracelessly hurled from his seat onto the dirt street. Chuckling, Ahsoka faced forwards again. 

“Watch it!” A toydarian screamed frantically. Her eyes widened with shock as she realized she was heading straight towards this male’s home. Braking with a gut clenching shriek her bike skidded to a stop right beside the door of the hut where the toydarian was now chiding her recklessness. There was no way she could stay ahead of those guards on her speeder now. Swinging from her seat, she slid one of her twin blasters from its holster on her right thigh and knelt behind the cover of her bike. She only had a few shots or she was done for. The golden casino guards came into range and they began firing first. The toydarian screeched in outrage and slammed his door shut to protect himself from the shoot out. The guard’s laser shots ricocheted off the walls, but came dangerously close to Ahsoka and her ride. Taking aim with her blaster, she exhaled to steady the shot and squeezed the trigger. The blue bolt raced through the air and tagged the first driver in the right shoulder, unsteadying him, but he managed to hold onto his bike. Firing again Ahsoka nailed him in his gilded helmet, throwing him from the bike, but the other guard had also shot with better aim. Her speeder rocked violently and smoke began to fill the air. Switching to the new target Ahsoka fired immediately. With a scream of pain the blue blaster bolt struck the remaining guard through the heart. He rolled from his speeder, pulling the bike with him into a roll. They both were only about fifty meters away and showed no signs of slowing. Cursing Ahsoka jumped onto her fuming bike.

“Come on, come on,” she whispered urgently. She was slamming her foot on the accelerator but only received a sputtering sound from the engine. “I can’t carry this stuff by myself!” She yelled punching the datapad. The glass cover shattered around her fist, slicing up her hand as she pulled it from the ruined accessory. Finally the bike responded and lurched forward. Laughing in relief she steered through the speeder past the house into the adjacent street. Out of habit she glanced at the datapad for directional advice. The screen flickered weakly between a map of Canto Bight and a black screen. Ahsoka could have punched it again out of frustration, but her bleeding fist gave her pause. Restraining herself this time, though, did not change the fact that Hondo would mock her for weeks for letting her temper endanger another mission for the crew. 

Rolling her eyes at the thought of her brother, she plowed through the city, skimming corners and dodging the locals hoping if she kept going in a consistent direction she would finally get out of this blasted city. Then she could just circle around till she found the ship. Or call in her location to Hondo for a pick up. That option was definitely the last resort. Maybe if she was stuck out here for a few days she would call him. Either way she did not want to attract another patrol, and her speeder kept sputtering as she raced along. She was not sure if this poor engine could carry her and her cargo for the rest of the trip. It would have to suffice, besides, walking was out of the question. 

Her com flashed green. Ahsoka considered ignoring it, but found herself pushing the reception button. Hondo came across the line with fresh sarcasm. “So, it would appear those goods are sturdier than we thought, aye, sis? Because, if even a single item is damaged I will sell you along with them to compensate for the lost price.”

“Ah, dear brother, I did so miss your comments,” she snipped across the com. “If any are damaged I’m sure we’ll have bigger problems on our hands. And I’m not dealing with it.”

“Of course, well you should just hurry back, then. Where are you anyway? Our feed from the datapad is all flicky and wacky.”

“It got busted when I was dealing with some guards. So, I’m kind of guessing my route right now. If you keep a look out for a smoke plume it would be appreciated.”

“Yes, surely, I will. Just hurry, I’m getting all cramped up just waiting here with this ridiculously worried Rhodian of ours.” With that Hondo cut the conversation, leaving Ahsoka free to guide her struggling bike through the remaining kilometers of the market courts. Surprisingly no other guards caught her trail and she managed to make it outside Canto Bight successfully. Even more surprising was seeing that saucer shaped ship that Hondo had taken as his own. It’s bay doors lowered and Ahsoka sped closer. Once inside the hanger, she finally shut off the bike and it powered down immediately. She figured it would probably never start again, but it had served its purpose. She walked over the large crates strapped to the back of the speeder as the bay door shut again with a hiss. As she came closer the whimperings became steadily louder and more persistent as if the creatures sensed her presence. Kneeling down she popped the latch on one and was thrown backwards by a mound of brown fluff. Gasping as the wind was almost choked from her lungs, she turned to the skittish animals. 

“You guys are a lot scrawnier than I imagined,” she wheezed. The two fathier pups whimpered in response with their wide, watery eyes boring into her soul. Trying to ignore the looks she stood up and strolled to the other crate. This time she stepped aside as she popped the latch. Two more fathiers bounded into hangar. They quickly darted over to the other pups and they all snuggled together, maybe numbers made them feel safer. She considered befriending the semi canines, but Hondo swaggered into the hanger before she could make a move. 

“So you managed to secure them without any collateral. Honestly I am a little surprised, my little sister.” He chuckled eyeing the pups curiously. “Are you certain these are the creatures will get us the gold you claim?” Hondo called over his shoulder in the hallway that connected the hangar to the rest of the ship. Ahsoka assumed that Rhodian was behind him, this was his suggestion after all to come for these fathiers. 

A green sentient shoved past Hondo into the hangar as Ahsoka was thinking. It was the Rhodian, probably come to inspect the creatures she had risked her neck for. He was eyeing them hungrily with those creepy galaxy orbs that his species dared to label as eyes. He was quite consumed with one specific pup before snapping his head from it to her big brother. “As long as the female got the correct fathiers, then yes. Each will be worth around 500,000 credits. Some sentients have the keenest eyes for a well breed creature, as these should be some of the best, so we should leave this planet immediately now that we have what we came for.”

Hondo nodded solemnly, but hesitated for a moment. “Now, friend, just remind me very quickly, I’m afraid it slipped my mind, but what did you say earlier was to be your share of the profits?”

At the mention of profits Ahsoka noticed their informer visibly stiffened. The togruta’s own spine was prickling with apprehension. Hondo always talked about the shares either well before or right after the heists, never in the middle.

“Well, I can only assume that I’ll-”

“Assume nothing, friend. For as our dear mother always says, assumptions dull your wits, and you’ll lose half your wealth relying on only promises.” Hondo stepped closer to the shaking Rhodian. “I fear, you assumed by giving us this intel we would forget your past misconducts. Or did you think we never learned about those false spices you sent one of our crews after? But, never worry, for even us pirates have some honor. We will leave you to whatever wealth you truly deserve, for it is said that Canto Bight is a place where any and all can succeed.”

Realizing what her brother meant, Ahsoka pulled her blasters from their holsters and aimed them at their companion. “I suggest you go find that wealth, greenie.” She sneered and gestured to the bay doors of the hangar with her right blaster.

Those galaxy eyes widened in fear as the mind behind the obnoxious orbs processed the betrayal. He began mumbling half sentences in protest but Hondo was already ushering him towards the exit. He tapped a control on his wrist and the bay door unlatched with clack and a hiss. “No, please!” The Rhodian fell to his knees begging. “You don’t understand what they’ll do to me. I’m known here!”

Hondo smiled benevolently. “Then next time you can send us to Alderaan then, yes?”

“Oh, hurry up scum,” Ahsoka snapped trying to keep herself from pulling the trigger. Rhodian blood had a terrible habit of staining and she did not want the fathier pups to end up drinking it either. 

The betrayed criminal managed another plea about a sick relative before Hondo kicked him off his ship. Her brother turned to her and clicked the door’s control on his wrist again. “Well, that was longer than I had hoped. We are going to get some unwelcome company on our way out now, I fear.”

Ahsoka just sighed and dropped her blasters back into their holsters. “I’ll man the guns if you can manage to fly us out of here in one piece. And for the record I still don’t understand why we didn’t bring an actual crew with us to this cursed planet.”

“So hurtful, sister,” Hondo gasped as they left the hangar. The four pups were still loose behind them, but there was little they could harm. Plus they earned a little bit of freedom before they get sold again. Come to think of it, she didn’t actually know if they were being sold. She just assumed as much but Hondo had made no mention of any buyers, only their worth.

“Hondo, what are we doing with the pups anyway?”

“Ah, you mean Mother’s new collection?” Hondo chuckled. “She was tired of the Nexus coat she always wears. She claims that fathier pups have the best fur so that’s why we snatched these perfect specimen!” 

Ahsoka arched an eyebrow at him. Mother couldn’t care less about her coat. She just wore that old thing because some Zygerrian slaver had an affair with her and she had taken it as a prize. Of course, the truth of that matter was supposed to be forgotten. Right now the circulating tale is that this was the fur coat from the Nexus involved with the Battle of Geonosis. Momma was going through a history craze last time Ahsoka had stopped by to visit. It might have changed again since that visit two months ago. 

Hondo cleared his throat and started again. “I have procured a buyer for these wondrous creatures. I believe they’re going to a Senator in the Inner Rim but it’s full of politics and watchful Republic eyes so we’ll be going through a medium. You mustn’t worry about that though, I’m dropping you off home before the transfer.”

Ahsoka clenched her fist. 

“But we have no time for this now. Get to your station!” The weequay waved her away as he continued walking down the hallway. Grumbling in frustration she turned toward the gray steel wall and punched a button angrily. With a whoosh it slid open to reveal the ladder that led to the gunning post. She leapt up a few rungs to quicken the process and was soon seated in the dome on the cushioned swivel chair. There was still a stain from Hondo’s last turn firing when he thought he could manage to drink as well as shoot down that Black Sun operative. That was a fun experience for everyone. 

Ahsoka glanced around her sealed world. There were no lights illuminating the fields outside Canto Bight so those officers had not been able to send out probes yet. Good sign. Yet the city of casinos was still awake and the obnoxious revelries of the town often caused more harm than good. A simple drunkard could point them out since this kriffing planet offered no cover to freighter ships. Another lovely element for its resume. She focused on her immediate environment and found the headset on an odd hook between two connecting panels of glass. She slid it over her forehead and adjusted it to her comfort. Next she grabbed the handles of for the ship’s guns and waited to be seen. 

The engines rumbled and hummed into life as Hondo pulled her into the air. The ship hovered as it stabilize before it was piloted into the stratosphere and prepped for a hyperspace jump. Ahsoka scanned the city beneath the freighter for any signs of pursuit. Blinding strobes we’re still swiveling outside the great golden pillars and archways of the various casinos within the inner circle of the city. At seemingly random intervals confetti billowed into a dazzling smoke above the gambling centers, but what caught Ahsoka’s eye the most was the ever changing lights that marked the fathier tracks. The massive loop just outside the festival circle of Canto Bight was still inhabited as she could tell from the lights, unless the owners left them on as a pointless show of money through wasted electricity. Besides these spots the endless rows of clay colored markets and homes clustered around the upper class area were deserted. Their ship had flown so high that she couldn’t separate the rooftops into homes anymore and they instead had merged into a single unit of lower class. 

She activated her headset with a tap on the steel plate wrapped across her temple. “City’s dead. Make the jump.”

“No friends tonight? Shame,” Hondo chuckled through the line. Ahsoka smiled at the familiar sass. Hondo recently seemed even less wary of local authorities than on previous pirate raids, in fact he only seemed to be cautious of the Republic. If you weren’t careful with those upper class poshes than you were in for a world of hurt since they were starting to expand that blasted clone army of theirs. Ahsoka had just recently heard a confirmation report that the entire Republican had started to instate permanent residence in the Outer Rim with those hordes of identical soldiers. In light of those odds it made sense that Hondo wouldn’t be afraid of some half disciplined casino guards, but it took only one shot to compromise a mission, so she decided to hold position in the gunning pit. Even after the hyperdrive whirled into action, she stayed as the world outside the freighter blurred into streaks of blue and white. 

After a minute or two she realized she was still clutching onto the gun triggers. Surprised at how tense her nerves were she forced an exhale and released the subconscious death grips on the handles. She chuckled at her own ridiculousness and swung from the seat to the porthole and down the ladder. With a thud she skipped the last few rungs and landed in the hallway. For a fleeting moment she considered going back into the Bay Area to comfort the stolen pups. This would probably be the first time in a ship for them, and they would be terrified. 

She waved a hand dismissively at her internal deliberation, and turned right towards the cockpit. Even if those pups got jittery and complicated their sale, Hondo always managed to strike a good deal and Ahsoka had no doubt that those fathiers would still fetch a hefty price. She imagined chests of gold credits and spices and with a smile on her face, clicked open the cockpit door.


	2. Returning Home Without Fashion

Previously for Ahsoka:  
The Jedi Order dispatched Master Plo Koon to retrieve a Togruta youngling from Shili, but the Jedi arrived too late as Ahsoka Tano had already been taken by an imposter. Against the request of Plo Koon, the Jedi Order abandoned Ahsoka to her circumstances. The Ohnaka crew took in the togruta child and raised her in their world of crime. Now she and her adoptive brother Hondo are fleeing Canto Bight with a shipment of stolen fathier pups.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

“What do you mean we’re being boarded!” Ahsoka shouted at her brother. 

Hondo snapped his finger and wagged it at her. “Now don’t get all riled up at me. It’s not my fault Mother decided you were too incompetent to be included in this. And now, I too, am being struck from the bargain!” He threw his hands up dramatically. “Look what your togruta shenanigans have done to me now!”

Ahsoka slammed her cup of blue milk on the table she was standing over. The cup shattered and splattered the liquid over both of the arguers’ unfinished meals. “You know full well we’re being cut off from this deal because someone had to leave our informant on a hostile planet, so don’t you dare try pinning this on me.” She yelled back clenching her fists at her side. Some of the fragments of the broken cup slit through her gloves and into her palm, but it only added to her anger. 

“Well, we can’t squabble about this right now, anyway. The ship is already docking. Look!” He gestured to a panel hanging on the steel gray wall. It was hard to distinguish amidst all the other random ornamentals and exotic accessories Hondo has donned his ship with. Still, a blinking red light declaring an unauthorized breach on the lower deck set it apart quickly. 

“I guess as captain, it’s your job to be the greeting party,” Ahsoka decided taking a seat by the table. Her brother shot her a look of contempt that flashed to pride.

“You know, I can’t stay angry with you. come, we’ll greet these mannerless poachers together! Momma will be sure to get you that ship of yours if we scare these scum from my humble transport!” Hondo smiled with one of his most charming smiles. Ahsoka simply stared levelly at him. 

“These goons are supposed to be your mediators, aren’t they?” She asked dryly.

Hondo grumbled. “Now don’t you go reading into this, they seemed like respectable folks. Not many have access to the Inner Rim anymore. We can’t dwell on this though, they’re already on the ship!”

Ahsoka sighed and stood up drawing her two pistols out. “You’re gonna owe me big for this.” She grumbled as she strolled into the hallway. Those useless hires of Hondo probably already had the pups since they hadn’t been moved from the cargo hold. That meant they would just be fighting to regain the ship with as little collateral damage as possible. Behind her, she heard Hondo’s clunky boots turn away, indicating that he was going to go through a lower entrance to the cargo hold. That left her the easy shots from above. He wouldn’t even let her have the fun when he screwed up. 

“Yeah, that’s not going to happen,” she whispered to herself with a smile forming. Picking up the pace from her careful walk, she sprinted towards the hold. The gray walls flashed past as she hurried toward the door ahead. Her eyes darted towards the keypad for a second as she debated. Internally shrugging she tapped into the abyss that Momma told her never to use around others. Life surged through her limbs as she felt herself connect to the whole ship. Below she sensed Hondo nearing the hold as well with his gun steadily aimed ahead. Glowing pulses drew her to the hold. She felt five presences that were sentient but she didn’t recognize any of them. As she had worried she felt none of the pups on the ship, she almost pushed further before remembering her purpose. Narrowing the connection she directed the sense of light at the keypad and the red button sunk inwards, opening the door with a woosh. She hurled herself through the door and leapt over the rail of the ramp that lead to the rest of the hold. As she fell she realized her sense had been right and there were only five sentients, but she wasted no time learning anything else about them before she began shooting. When her feet touched the ground two bodies fell with her in piles of leather and tattered rags. The remaining three responded with angry shouts and began firing in response. The living abyss panicked inside her and she listened to it, rolling to her left behind one of the fallen bodies. Blaster shots whizzed into the wall where she had been. She swiveled on her knees to face the intruders again and focused fire on the brute closest to her. With a shot through his cheek, he crumpled to the floor. 

A whine cut the air and the abyss upheaved inside Ahsoka again. She ducked down, but this time she wasn’t fast enough and pain erupted in her right lek. She gasped at the sudden agony. The fire spread upwards into her temples, blinding her mind with scorching heat. She barely heard the whoosh of a door opening and shots exchanging behind her. In the midst of her suffering she felt the abyss edging away from her. She almost called it back to her, but forced herself to let it slide away. The familiar cold and emptiness left without it cancelled out her pain and she returned to the cargo hold.

Turning around she saw Hondo send a blaster bolt that felled the last intruder. Forcing herself to stand up she clumsily replaced her blasters into their holsters. Hondo met her gaze with a proud smirk and a twirl of his gun. His smile faded as he noticed Ahsoka’s lek. “Don’t just sit there, Tano. Get up, we have to get you bandaged up before you bleed all over my new flooring.” He glanced around the bodies pooling their various shades of blood onto the metal floor. “Eh, not that it really matters anymore.”

Pushing herself off the floor to her feet, Ahsoka’s face contorted in pain as her movement caused her injured lek to sway. “Just move your ass and help me,” she grunted. She almost let her hands cradle her wound before forcing them down again. Her gloved hands would have so much residue and bacteria on them, she would cause much more damage than good by touching her lekku right now. 

Hondo had made his way over to her and was leading her out of the hangar into the hallway. Luckily the lower bunk where they tossed their scant supply of medicines was only two doors down. Ahsoka flopped gratefully onto the cot as Hondo fidgeted through the trunk of serums, patches, and random alcohols that had found their way into it. With a proud smile and a quick self compliment the weequay turned around with a green salve and a white bandage. 

“Now, this will not be pleasant, little sister, so remember that it was those slimy hijackers that caused this pain, not me.” 

Ahsoka exhaled hoping to ease her racing nerves. The faster this was done, the sooner they could get back home to Sriluur. She was tiring of Hondo’s escapades and was ready for a fresh deal that their mother would undoubtedly have that she could jump in on. Maybe this time she could go somewhere interesting like Cato Nemioda. Those selfish elitists always were easy prey for some nonchalant scams and fun memories.

“Alright, let’s just do this then,” she said, clenching her fists in preparation. 

She noticed that Hondo had set his face with a steady determination and almost laughed. Sure, she was bleeding and had completely ruined the vest she was wearing, but it wasn’t as if she was dying. Besides, whenever Hondo looked this serious he was usually going to yell at a cook for getting his food undercooked, which she remembered very clearly from their last pit stop at a Twi’lek institution on Socorro. That was also the place where a young human had challenged Hondo to a game of Sabaac. Ahsoka almost laughed at the memory. That little boy had bested her brother without breaking a sweat which resulted in Hondo losing his best capes and Socorro earning a spot on the list of planets they would never visit again. 

She gasped suddenly as the pain flooded back into right lek. Her reminiscing had made her completely forget that she still had to be bandaged up, but now that it was back on her mind, she snatched the fabric from Hondo who simply shrugged as his help was rejected. Carefully she began patting around her wound to soak up the blood and then gently pressed the gauze across the blaster’s work. 

“That still requires sterilization, my little sister,” Hondo quipped from where he had seated himself on one of the few unharmed crates. In fact, the whole hangar looked as if a Rancor had been released into it. Blaster shots scarred the walls with blotches of black, while the floor had been generously covered with a fresh carpeting of splintered crate and bodies of the slain. They would probably be tossed into space when they stopped for their next hyperspace jump. 

“I’m not a dim witted nerfherder, brother, I know how to treat a blaster shot,” Ahsoka grumbled as she grabbed the green salve that Hondo had procured from their supplies. It was a rather new brand of antibiotic medication that had been on its way to Kamino. Whatever reason those long necked weirdos had once planned for this goo was foiled as it had become one of the most in demand medication in the black market. It worked like a Jedi spell and so Ahsoka slathered it generously across the layer of bandage she had placed across the wound. She then wrapped the remaining gauze around her lek to secure it in place.

“Thank Quay that we grabbed some of this stuff,” she commented, turning over the green salve in her hands. “I hated stitches and I’m so glad we don’t need them anymore.”

Hondo hummed in agreement. “They were terribly messy and quite ghastly to look at, but watch your tongue. You know how Momma behaves when you bring our wondrous deities to the level of such common banter. Very disrespectful.” He clicked his tongue to emphasize his mocking disapproval. 

Ahsoka chucked the salve at him, which he snatched from the air. “You know what I meant.”

“Ah, but of course I do; still I like to tease when I can. You should be acquainted with this by now, or do you truly pay such little attention to me?” He asked as he stood up from his makeshift chair. “But this is enough distraction for now. We need to deal with this mess that our guests so kindly left behind, and get on our way.”

Ahsoka wrinkled her nose at the thought of mopping up all this blood. Knowing that it would stain if they didn’t clean it now made her stand up despite her reservations. The closest body to her the one she had shot in the face. Steam still spiraled from his wound as the flesh sizzled. As effective as her shot had been, the smell and sight that it left behind almost made her wish she had aimed somewhere else. The left side of his skull had melted away and the eye had completed liquidated from the heat, but she ignored this to get a better look at the features. The remaining eye was open showing off its yellow hue and black slits. Above the deceased’s temple were towering pointed ears covered with tufts of brown fur. Glancing at the other bodies, Ahsoka recognized the same distinct features on each of them.

“Brother, you weren’t planning on selling to Zygerrians, were you?” She asked pointedly. 

“Now, now, prejudice never got anyone anywhere in the realm of crime, now did it?” Hondo replied confidently. “How was I to know that this was one of those times to believe the stereotypes?”

Ahsoka groaned and ripped a jacket off one of the bodies. “This one’s got the purple flame symbol used by the Zygerrian scouts. Something about spreading the flame of their purity or some other tyrannical agenda. Now we got proof of their interference. Now we can get these furballs off the ship.”

Hondo hummed pleasantly as he began hauling a body toward a port to be tossed into the vacuum of space. Ahsoka tossed the jacket onto a crate before helping to clean the mess left behind. By the time they were done scrubbing away the blood and salvaging whatever hadn’t been ruined in the blaster fight, Ahsoka was sure she would never be able to get the smell of scorched flesh from her clothes. When Hondo left to put the ship into hyperspace, Ahsoka was so relieved to have a chance to hit the refresher that she forgot to ask where they were headed. She was more than upset when she finally made it to cockpit.

“So you abandon our middleman, get double crossed, lose the bounty, probably start a life feud with the Zygerrian empire, and your response to this is to bring our mother into this?”

Hondo threw his hands up at the accusations. “Well we were intended to return home after the mission. Would you rather we change course and just pretend this never happened. Absolutely blind, little sister. We have to return home and explain this to Momma before Sriluur is attacked or worse, we lose our business deals!”

 

“Oh, please! We both know you’re just running behind Momma’s skirts so you’ll have more guns to hide behind when this comes to the surface.”

“Well, you’re not wrong there,” Hondo chuckled. “Better to be an alive coward than a dead stalwart. Which, by the way, you are so lovingly encouraging me to be.”

Ahsoka sighed. “Fine, but you are going to be one telling this story to her. I just retrieved the goods, and I don’t want any more involvement in this mess than that.”

“Ah yes, of course,” Hondo ensured and they both sat down in the piloting seats to wait for their ship to drop from hyperspace in an awkward silence.   
* * * * * *

Ahsoka shifted in her chair as she stared at the planet before her. This was her home. Every time she looked at it from space, she felt such a rush of affection. This was a place of hardship for anyone who dared to entire its atmosphere. The endless white deserts were enough of a challenge with the bandigos and dark wolves that prowled its lengths, but the most memorable challenge that blessed Sriluur’s surface was the acidic oceans. That was where most sentients decided that they would rather take their business elsewhere. Yet this was where Ahsoka had grown up, racing around the clans, chasing the rare birds she could spot, and most importantly where her family was. It was as much a part of her as Hondo and Momma were. 

“Ready for the descent?” Hondo asked even as he piloted his ship closer to the planet. She didn’t bother to reply but simply waited as the swirling clouds and sandstorms drew ever closer. 

Soon enough they were being tossed around the sky of Sriluur and hitting various pockets of downdrafts that caused Ahsoka’s heart to stop despite how many times she had experienced this turbulence. She found herself reaching into the abyss within her for support. The response was immediate and her nerves deflated instantly. The massive amount of power thriving and pulsing through her filled her with a kind of peace only children know when they’re wrapped in their mother’s arms. She sighed in relief and the rest of the descent to their city Dnalvec was significantly more enjoyable. 

As they passed a sprawling mountain range, the ship’s communications system blinked into life. Ahsoka leaned over and pressed a button to accept the line, expecting a hailing from someone in her mother’s court, as she liked to call her group of scoundrels. 

“Identify yourself, freighter.” A voice garbled through the speaker. Ahsoka glanced sideways at Hondo who shared her affronted look.

“I beg your pardon, my good sir,” Hondo started, “but you’re not the warm welcome I was expecting from my dear mother. She does enjoy her jokes though, so just let her know that her dashing son has returned early with her butterfly.”

Ahsoka shoved his shoulder at the last comment. Hondo knew she hated whenever anyone besides Momma used that nickname for her. 

There was a gumble on the other end before the speaker assured that their freighter would not be blown from the sky since their mother had vouched for them. Hondo seemed pleased by this and made a point when they landed in the midst of various other merchants moving their shipments around to personally greet whoever had hailed them. Ahsoka tried to stop him but realized that her brother was set on this course, so she abandoned him and instead headed to the tavern that served as their mother’s entryway to her base of operation. Some weequays she recognized passed her but they barely acknowledged her existence aside from a few glares and whispered comments. Normally she would confront them, but she remembered she was still bandaged from her fight. There would be nothing she could say to regain honor in their eyes until the wound healed. Weequays were funny in the sense that they had no regard for anyone they deemed incompetent. Just one of the many reasons that had driven Hondo and now her from this planet. She shrugged the thoughts aside and continued winding her way through the wind burnt buildings until she arrived at her destination.

Her mother’s tavern reeked of scum and illegal activity in every possible way. Vendors were clustered obnoxiously around the road, pestering every passerby they could with their various assortment of spices, fabrics, and weapons. The walls that they guarded were windburnt and splattered with a putrid mix of blood and alcohol that resulted in a darker hue for the majority of the buildings in the vicinity. Barred windows were also carelessly scattered around, Ahsoka knew some drunkard was always behind those panes armed with a blaster even if they were never visible. Momma might allow for some grotesque behaviors in her court, but she always knew who did them. This tavern had one of the hardest cover fees in the galaxy. Either blood links, or fidelity proven through murder or your own death. Luckily for Ahsoka she had established herself in one of those conditions, while another had been swayed for her unique adoption. 

Shouldering her way past a particular insistent Nikto, Ahsoka swept through the arched entryway into the main body of her Momma’s tavern. The edges of the room were indistinguishable past all the various bodies clustered around drinks, pazaak games, and plotting deals. Every so often a female would filter through the swarm of sandy bodies with a tray of drinks to offer. These few chosen females were always sheltered from the scathing sand winds so they were able to wear sheer silks without fear of harm. Besides, each of these girls were part of Momma called her prized set. She spent lavishly to secure each of them. Ahsoka never understood it, but somehow the quality of slaves dictated the power that the master held more so than their wealth and prowess in the Outer Rim. Momma had taken this to heart, of course, as she would not stand to be thought of as lacking in any way. 

Once more ignoring the mass of people that had clustered around her mother’s establishment like pathetic moths, Ahsoka managed to make it past the bar to the hallway at the back wall. As always two weequays lounged in chairs at the entryway with their blasters displayed in their laps and knives strapped across their chests. They made a move to confront her as she neared them, but after a pause the morons realized who she was and let her pass. She made sure to scoff audibly as she strolled past them. Now it was only a few more turns through the hallway past several locked doors until finally she reached the suite in the deepest recess of the tavern. Preparing herself with a deep breath she entered her mother’s room. 

“-that’s why I had to swear off the Nautilan race! One bad bet and now I lost access to their entire system. Not that it matters now, of course, but those bastards have their grubby webs on some of the best narcotics I’ve ever handled from some of those neon anemones.” 

Ahsoka waited just inside the door as a Trandoshan finished his narrative. Her intrusion would probably be taken as an insult to this being, but those furries were too absurdly sensitive about their pride that she really couldn’t bring herself to bother with better procedure. Luckily for her though, Momma was too interested in whatever deal they were intimating to notice her returned daughter, so Ahsoka decided to take a seat. 

Pushed against the nearest wall was a divan that was piled with a surplus amount of pillows of several different pelts; one of which seemed to have once been a magenta bird from Felucia, if she had to guess. Either way the creature was dead and now was simply a trophy trapped in this desert abode. Ahsoka reflected on how grateful she was to have means of escape from this planet. Her species wasn’t fit for this environment. 

“My butterfly!” A sudden joyous cry snapped Ahsoka out of her thoughts. Her eyes locked with her mother’s and she found herself smiling at the weequay. 

“Hello, Momma,” she greeted as she stood up and headed closer. The Trandoshan eyed her suspiciously from his seat. Ahsoka guessed that adoption wasn’t very common on his planet so this could be a unique situation for him to witness. A weequy with a togruta child. Even if they tried there was no way that the Ohnakas’ could attempt to explain her as a natural child. It would probably shatter the Trandoshan lifestyle to take a stranger and honor them with your last name and heritage. Especially of such drastically different species; it would be inconceivable in their culture. She forced the thought aside. Let him think as he wished, it made no difference now and it never would. 

“I have been bantering away the finer points of a wonderfully beneficial collaboration with Skaruk here,” Momma waved her hand toward the Trandoshan. The motion caused a clatter of gold as the layers and layers of bracelets rattled against each other. Ahsoka considered it refreshing that Momma still refused to conform to a typical pirate’s array. Her assortment of gold chains and diamonds sparkled gloriously from the sun’s rays, matched only by her shimmering silk garments and wraps. Very few weeguay wore anything besides leather or furs, but Momma claimed that her array brought her closer to the celestials she so fervently admired. In fact, the only fabric she owned outside of silk was the infamous nexu fur coat. 

“Yess,” The reptilian hiss brought Ahsoka back to the moment. “Yet, a child is of no interest to me. I need fighters beside me on this mission.” 

Ahsoka bristled at his brash remark concerning her, but her Momma beat her to words. 

“And I have no desire to be working with amateurs, yet when good business arises, only the cowardly would ignore such opportunities, even if a child is a part of the crew. I can assure you, though, that she will be most aptly suited for this adventure. Her togrutan assets make her immensely useful for the heist you have planned.”

Skaruk’s eyes shrink to slits as he reassessed Ahsoka. Ahsoka’s hands came down to hover above her blasters. She was still seated on the couch, but if this scum wanted to brawl over this she had no doubt that she would be able to get her footing in time. Moments stretched as the tension built. With a resigned sigh, the Trandoshan relaxed and turned back to Momma Ohnaka.

“I accept your terms. My ssship will leave at dawn tomorrow.” His eyes flicked to Ahsoka for a moment. “With or without your youngling.”

Momma smiled devilishly as she stood to see out her guest. “Now, I would be most grateful. Never forget, dear friend, that if you don’t deliver, I will burn you, your crew, and your family into ash. Because; well, that’s just business.”

Skaruk had a scathing glint in his eyes, but he stomped out of the room without a second glance. As his tail wiped around the corner, Ahsoka noticed her mother turning to her. Standing up she prepared for the barrage of rebukes. 

“My sweet, darling butterfly,” she croned, wrapping her jingling arms in a warm embrace. Ahsoka tensed at the first touch but relaxed into the gesture. After a few heartbeats they separated and Momma eyed her while still holding her at arm’s length. Her eyes rested on her bandaged lek. She clicked her tongue disapprovingly. “I had received news that you and Hondo had been sabotaged. My heart thanks Quay for your return, but now I have a problem.” She opened her arms in a helpless gesture before turning away. She strolled to a far wall where a small chest was perched between the pillars that surrounded the room. 

“Momma,” Ahsoka called. “They were Zygerrian. They took the fathiers while others laid down cover fire. We threw the bodies into space, but the cargo hold is still-”

“Not all the bodies, surely?” Momma questioned, still focusing on the chest.

“Well,” Ahsoka paused trying to figure out the trap her mother was laying. “We have one of their jackets, and the video monitor is all the proof we need that they were there.”

“But no bodies?” She sighed. “My poor simple butterfly, why would you toss away such leverage?”

Ahsoka waited as the lecture began.

“You see, when you’ve been wronged, you don’t deal with the problem and cast aside the event as if it can be forgotten. You have to think ahead! Plan your next move! If you had kept one alive then you could have used him as leverage. Sure, the Zygerrians are a squirmy mess, but if you dropped one of their own at their pompous feet with that video tape of yours, the pay off would be wondrous. Yet, as it stands now, you hold some tattered clothes, a ruined cargo hold, and video of the wrong doing. Videos are tampered, edited, cast aside. It will never hold in their eyes. Now, you have lost a precious load with nothing to show. I had buyers for those pups. Buyers who now will receive nothing and my name will suffer.” Momma halted in her rant to finally turn to Ahsoka. “My name will suffer for this. I am sending you on a mission with that Trandoshan, but you and your brother now owe me a shipload of fathiers, or I will strip you both of my partnership and the name you have so recklessly tarnished. You know I love you, butterfly, but I have always had high expectations from my men. You will not be exempted.”

Ahsoka’s eyes had dropped to the floor during her mother’s words, but now she lifted them back to her level. “When you accepted my into your home, you also gave me your name. I will uphold what that name means, but I need to know that Hondo will be held accountable as well. This was his mission, his informative, and his failure. I will amend for my hand in it, but I can not take the full blame, Momma.”

“Yes, yes, I know,” Momma answered quietly. Then a smile broke her lips. “I actually have something in mind for your brother. It will take care of this fathier issue as well. Yes, this will work marvelously.”

Ahsoka eyed her curiously, but held her tongue on the matter. “So this mission I am to go on...what exactly have I become entangled with?”

“Oh, that bothersome routine,” Momma allowed herself a faint look of disinterest. “That reptile and his horde have caught wisps of a shipment of a new narcotic being transported from Mon Cala. It’s a simple dive heist with a rather promising endgame. The operation itself will be rather dull though, I fear. I’m simply involved because I happened to be in ownership of one of the few ships in this quadrant that dual functions in water and space. How fortunate for me.” The weequay’s eyes twinkled as she modestly recounted her luck. 

“Yes, rather fortunate indeed,” Ahsoka smiled before taking leave of her adoptive mother. As she wandered through the corridors to her quarters, she tried to mentally compile a list of necessities for her outing in the morning. She was used to being an unwanted tag along, but her stomach still churned nervously. Not concerning the Trandoshan, she was certain, yet the sensation persisted and she was lost to its source. 

By the time she made it to her room the feeling had receded into an almost undetectable worry, making it easier for Ahsoka to pack with a clearer head. She glanced around the spacious room she called her own. In a corner was a luxurious bed with silk coverings and a gold frame. Her mother’s touch. Scattered around were blasters, daggers, and a few batons, but her focus was on the chests currently overflowing with clothes either scarred from usage or other flashes of Momma Ohnaka’s influence. Digging through one of these piles, Ahsoka uncovered her aquatics belt. She replaced her current leather strappings with it, and checked to ensure her aquatic breather was still functioning. The mesh webbing was still sealed in its corresponding pouch as well. Other tidbits lined the belt as well, but they weren’t as important. Content with her gear, she slid out her blasters to clean them. She then added a sonic pistol onto her rear holster. Even in water, she would never be unarmed. 

She knew sleep would be futile, so she left her room trying to think of a place to be. She was almost never in Dnalvec anymore and she wanted the little time she had left here to be important. Her feet led her from Momma’s tavern into the night. The stars speckled the sky above like snow on Hoth. There was such little civilization on Sriluur, that there was no pollution to blur the view of space. Just one of the benefits of living on a desert criminally run planet in the Outer Rim, Ahsoka reflected with a grim chuckle. She kept walking even as the town faded behind her. Around her the sounds of the bandigos echoed fiercely while the dark wolves howled further in the distance. She found a smooth rock and choose it as her resting place. Seated on the cool surface, she closed her eyes and sighed. 

Suddenly her senses pooled into black nothingness. The abyss had erupted from within to engulf Ahsoka and her panic swelled with it. She tried to open her eyes, but she was no longer on her desert stone. She was in a jungle. At least that’s what she assumed it was. All around were sprawling trees with enormous platter sized leaves, blocking out the glares of the sun. The air was heavy and wet somehow, but she welcomed. Her lungs felt rejuvenated at the sensation of the air and her eyes danced with the vibrancy of the colors surrounding her. A parrot was startled and it spread it glorious array of feathers in a flurry. Ahsoka couldn’t keep away a smile at the sight of the bird. She had never been to such a place before. The ground beneath the soles of her boots was soft and she could almost feel the promise of life within the soil. 

A small giggle echoed in the forest canopy and Ahsoka whirled at the sound. A small sentient burst through the foliage. Before Ahsoka could step out of the way, the form rushed toward her, but instead of impact, it passed through her. Startled, Ahsoka turned toward the phantom child. Or was she the phantom? She couldn’t tell, but something about this was beginning to feel eerily familiar. 

She turned back toward the child, and it glanced back at her. Ahsoka’s heart stopped. It was a togruta. It was an orange togruta with white blotchy markings, and montrals striped with white and blue. It was her.

“Ahsoka!” A voice shattered the jungle scene. The world convulsed around Ahsoka and in a moment she was once more perched on a rock on Sriluur. Gasping in unknown exhaustion Ahsoka glanced around to find whoever had interrupted whatever the abyss had showed her. She wanted to go back to that place. She wanted to know why she had seen herself in that jungle. It must have been her home at one time. From that time when she was still Ahsoka Tano, and not Ahsoka Ohnaka. 

She looked around her frantically, but she was alone in the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a force vision! Pretty exciting right? Hopefully Ahsoka will learn to be able to control this, otherwise she's probably gonna have pestering dreams at night ahead for her. 
> 
> Took me a little while to get this chapter out, though, so I've gonna try to power out the next updates. College is coming up pretty soon, so I don't know what kinda bumps that's gonna cause for me. Maybe actually having a schedule will help me get into a better pattern to write all this lol.
> 
> Well, until next chapter, thanks for reading, and enjoy the last remnants of summer, wonderfuls!

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, everyone! So this is how Ahsoka's story begins. Stealing fathier pups is a pretty different gig to her usual Jedi heroics but I think she's handling it well. I'm gonna try to keep these characters mostly true to their canon counterparts, but don't count on them being identical. Ahsoka had a lot of influence on people she met, so let's keep going to find out what happens with Ahsoka out in the world of piracy!


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